Veteran film and television actress Leslie Bega can now be seen co-starring as Valentina La Paz on the HBO Emmy Award winning television series The Sopranos, Tony Soprano's girlfriend. In addition, Leslie also can be seen as a diametrically opposite character to Valentina named Leah Banks on ABC's Emmy Award winning show CSI: NY. Leslie recently completed a starring role in the independent feature film Dating Games People Play, a romantic comedy directed by Stefan Marc. The film is scheduled for release in late 2004. A Los Angeles native, Leslie spent a great deal of her childhood in New York. After graduating with honors as her high school class valedictorian from 11 years at the prestigious Los Angeles private French school Le Lycee Francais, she attended college at The University of Southern California majoring in cinema with a minor in drama. Making her acting debut at the age of six in the Broadway play "The Patriots," Leslie went on to star in countless television commercials and then moved into episodic and film. Throughout this time in her childhood, she was sharpening her skills and establishing a solid foundation to her successful career as an actor. In the late 1980s, Leslie landed a starring role in the long running top-ten ABC television sitcom Head of the Class, portraying the brilliant yet socially awkward Maria Borges. Her follow-up television series was ABC's C-16: FBI alongside Eric Roberts, Angie Harmon, and 'DB Sweeney' . Leslie quickly went on to establish herself in the Motion Picture arena, sharing the screen with such Hollywood stars as John Travolta, Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, and Anthony Quinn. Leslie has been in 15 motion pictures including David Lynch's Lost Highway, Get Shorty, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, and Rob Reiner's The American President. After 19 years of vocal/singing training, in 2001, Leslie performed a solo singing performance at Lincoln Center. She recently completed producing Public Service Announcements for "Women At Risk" with actors Billy Zane and Phil Buckman; and "Outreach," educational programs designed for inner city kids. In her spare time, Leslie is an accomplished gourmet chef, and was the Master Chef at the restaurant "RAW" in Santa Monica before leaving to work on her own desert and food line.
Her ex-husband (Jon Farriss) is the drummer for Australian-based music group INXS. Trained in Shakespeare Intensive classes with Ms. Patsy Rodenburg. Ranked #67 in Stuff's "103 Sexiest Women"(2003).